whales you have seen?

[peterk]

hi stiknstrings,
THANKS !
for bringing up your pilotwhales - great, eh?
I have meant to ask this of anyone out there for a while:

Have YOU encountered
whales
in UK/Northern European waters?
Could you identify them ?
How close did they come to your boat?
How many were there?
Were you motoring/sailing?
Did you have:
a depth sounder on /
radio on/
music playing?

Anything special going on?

thanks!

...peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel

 

[BrianJ]

No.. but while sailing from Melbourne to Far North Queensland... I saw New South Wales on my Port side.... no music but tons of Bull s.. t fro them
BrianJ

 

[jimi]

I met Rusty Lee once in a Birmingham restaurant, there was calypso music at the time.

Jim

 

[Gerry]

Pilot whales in the By of Biscay, July 2002. Small group of five- appeared suddenly and stayed 10-15 minutes. Not much wind- boat doing 3-4 knots early evening.
Also thick fog off the potuguese algarve coast in August, under engine, 7 miles offshore smelt a strong fish smell(!) Looked around and eventually saw a largish whale- 20 feet- couldn't identify it though.

 

[Eudorajab]

Save the whales ...... harpoon a fat chick instead !!!

 

[Danthegorrila]

The Hebredain Whale and Dophin Trust will tell you more.
We've seen loads around Western Scotland, mainly Minkies occasional Sai whales, they will sometimes swim up and follow the boat. Most common when motoring.
Swanny does whale sighting cruises and the Shearwater from Arisaig usually show people some.

We also saw a whole family of basking sharks in the Clyde last week

 

[jleaworthy]

My sightings have all been in the Sea of the Hebrides, west of Skye and north of the Small Isles - a meeting place for tidal streams with lots of marine life. Most have been at a distance, though probably minke and definitely one orca. The only close encounter was when running silently downwind heading north from Canna, goosewinged with nothing switched on (no echosounder or radio) in my little Corribee. About twenty to thirty yards to port an enormous creature surfaced - almost certainly a fin whale. Scared or what! Difficult to estimate length but at least twice the length of the boat with his/her back much higher than my height of eye. Eventually sheared off thankfully. Other than that, plenty of basking sharks.

 

[extravert]

I've only ever seen whales once, and that was north of Iceland just below the Arctic circle. There were 2 of them who looked like they were feeding. Being a whale ignoramus I have no idea what they were, but they didn't have any white bits on them, so I suppose they were not Orcas.

 

[Gordonmc]

Saw a sei whale off Arran last season... very impressive. Had a chat with a sea-kayak jockey who said he had a close encounter with one around the same time. He set a speed record.
I think there is a pod of harbour porpoises which has set up home in the Cumbrae channel as they always make an appearance, no matter what the season. Last weekend I cut the engine and floated by Portencross Castle and they came within touching distance.
Havn't seen any basking sharks this year... maybe the warm spell will keep them around for a bit longer.

 

[zefender]

Pilot whale, solitary, in Biscay, July 2002. Came within 20 metres of us. We were sailing (but had engine on near tick over to charge up. Whale appeared very unflustered for about 10 minutes, before deciding to dive and swim away.

Also saw, about 10 miles off N Portugal coast, a huge whale, but it was at quite a distance - we could only really see the height of the spout. Despite the distance though, we were downwind and it smelled almost unbelievebly foul.

 

[Ohdrat]

There was a pod of Orcas in the Moray Firth a couple of summers ago.. harrasing the resident dolphins!

 

[peterk]

Re: how about whales in the Med?

hi everyone,
Unexpectedly fine feedback, l like your enthusiasm ,
THANKS !
I had no idea that the Northern UK/Scotland was so interesting
regarding marine mammals.

Dolphins ,
being small toothed whales of course,
count too...

I'd heard about your basking sharks
Read about them used as otter food('Ring of bright water'?)
- what length do they reach in your area?

I collided with a very solid 25-footer near Crescent City, No. California.
They are very dark/almost black there.

I also plowed at five knots speed right into a sleeping Bryde's whale
in the Banda Sea/Indonesia...

Do your otters enter salt water,
perhaps via the Caledonian Canal?
Chilean river otters do.

Now:
how about whales/other marine mammals in the Med
and all around Europe?

thanks again !

...peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel

 

[Guest]

Seen any Lions south of the border recently?

 

[charles_reed]

Apart from the Irish Sea dolphin pods, Smalls/Tuskar and the Anglesey lot who've I've seen a lot, there are a pod in the Iroise which accompanied me on a fast flood passage up le Four channel.
We also saw a pod of 7 pilots about 24M NW of Gijon on the N Spain coast.

Not seen any in the W Med and I believe they are much more common in higher latitude waters.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Seen pilot whales and best of all two orcas in the outer hebrides.
Whale and dolphin conservation society do a laminated recognition paper and ask to be kept informed of sightings
think there was one in PBO or YM a few months ago


Beer! Now there's a temporary solution.

 

[Ohdrat]

Re:Sea Otters

There are many otters in Scotland .. the majority live in and around the Sea lochs but often travel inland up burns to fresh water lochs too.. never seen them .. just evidence.. there's been some good filmed footage of otters in the Orkneys and Shetlands right next to the Oil terminals!

 

[Ohdrat]

Re: Lions South of the Border

Last seen on tour in Oz

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Re: how about whales in the Med?

Hi We spoted two Carvier Whales when we sailed around the Peloponisos Greece.In fact we were motoring at the time,the sea was very flat . My daughter thought they were dolphin , untill we got up close about 25ft away they were about 15/20 ft long mottly brown with barnicles on , it was a strange feeling being so close ,they stayed with us for only 15 sec then sliped under the water . se looked for ages but never saw a trace of them again . we identfied then from a small book Called [Gem book of mamals ] cheers bob t

Bob T

 

[Danthegorrila]

Re:Sea Otters

Too right!
See them regulary off Arisaig and Coll.

The best place by far is Kylakin, they are almost a tourist attraction, wild otters come onto the pontoon almost every night and can be seen easily. I've heard them on the deck and seen them in other peoples cockpits. All the locals keep their boats well shut up at night, but people also leave fish left overs out for them.

For kids its the highlight of a cruise.


PB

 

[chippie]

Re:whales

I have just been watching the Louis Vuitton Cup races live and there was a pod of orcas swimming along with Swedish Victory Challenge,--- Amazing.